May 7, 2008

Beach eats

Off topic, but are there any places I shouldn't miss while I'm visiting Rehoboth Beach next weekend?

Posted by: Stacy | May 7, 2008 9:03 AM

I'm glad you asked, Stacy. Rehoboth is one of my favorite restaurant towns in this area, by which I mean a reasonable drive away. Unfortunately I haven't been there in a couple of years, so my info is almost certainly outdated; but this will at least get you started. I'm hoping readers will tell us where I've gone wrong. ...

The following is part of a story I did for our 2006 beach guide. Of course, the entree prices, if nothing else, must be way out of date:

Rehoboth Beach is a great restaurant town. There are too many places to list here, but here's a run-down of what's new or almost new this summer:

*Aqua Grill (57 Baltimore Ave., 302-226-9001) has gotten a face lift under new ownership. Enjoy its light grill menu on the patio. The signature dish is a bacon bleu burger. Entrees: $7-$13.

*Claws Crab House, (167 Rehoboth Ave., 302-226-1729) is scheduled to open this summer as downtown Rehoboth's only crab house.

Comments

I spend a lot of time at the DE beaches and can recommend Eden in Rehoboth (had our rehearsal dinner there, it was outstanding, unusual menu), Victoria's on the Boardwalk for brunch, Arena's Deli just off Rehoboth Ave for lunch and sandwiches (I love their crab and spinach dip), Summer House has a good menu of everyday pasta/salads/sandwiches/seafood. Go a bit north to Lewes for Striper Bites just off the canal!

Good list! The Back Porch is our favorite restaurant anywhere (try the sweetbreads appetizer and the house coffee with--or instead of--dessert). La La Land is not only eclectic, but fun (specially if the bubble machine is cranking out bubbles).

There is a huge debate among regulars about whether Grotto Pizza is better than Nicoboli's, but we probably don't want to get into that!

I just read a book by the owner of Dogfish. It's called He Said Beer, She Said Wine (he wrote it with a sommelier named Marnie Old). It was, obviously, a book about beer and wine pairings. I liked it a lot.

I go to Fenwick, not Rehobeth, but if you feel like getting a little bit out of town, I really love Captain Pete's - on Coastal Highway, a mile or so north of the MD line. The food is Greek and so delicious. The Greek wine is strange, though - it tastes like it's been infused with thyme.

My hubby went to Rehoboth last weekend. He liked the beer at Dogfish but he said the bar was like a hole in the wall. Dos Locos has great margaritas and the food is good too. He also said he got the best ribs and buffalo wings in place in the mall called Cluckin Ribz‎.

Yet another shout for Dogfish Head. I am part of a family of brewers (now multi-generational) and we line up for their special and seasonal brews. If their ginger flavored Pangea is available, match it with anything Asian sounding from their menu -- or buy some and hit up your favorite Chinese take-out.

If you head to Lewes, please try my favorite, Second Street Grille. Service is always on point and the specials are lovely. There is normally a cocktail of the day as well. If you cannot sit in the restaurant, the bar is charming and, on most nights, you can order the full menu.

Joining the chorus of praises for Dogfish Head. Their burgers are outstanding, and the beer is indeed better, but not by much. And that's no slam against the burgers... or the beer. The service can be a little shaky depending on when you go.

I refuse to go to any of the fancy places in Rehoboth ever since a snooty maitre'd sneered at us for not having reservations midweek, fairly early in the evening. (Don't remember which restaurant - I think fusion was involved?) Grotto's and Thrasher's will do nicely, thank you very much.

Dottie, Greece has some of the finest wines and indigenous grapes in the world. I'm not a fan of Retsina either, but there are plenty of other options out of Greece. I've had wonderful Sauv Blancs, Moschofilero, Cabernets and Merlots from there, as well as several grapes native to Greece whose names I can't remember and/or won't attempt to spell. The Black Olive and Pazo both have a bunch of lovely selections.

Thanks StillAnon and Hal, I am aware that Greece produces some very fine wines, and have enjoyed a few of them. But, as kitpollard said her wine tasted as if it had been infused with thyme, and thyme is a woodsy taste, I just wondered if she'd had a Retsina.

Nage is, in my opinion, the best restaurant in Rehoboth. Very upscale food in a very fun atmosphere. (And there's an outpost in DC, too! Though wild horses can't really make me drive to DC.) The Rehoboth location is undergoing a much-needed expansion so the dining room space will be a little more user-friendly this summer. Really really great, innovative, upscale food.

The Back Porch is also our favorite. The food is excellent and so is the service. Stop and have a cocktail at the bar before dinner. Bee Neild is the best bartender on Delmarva. His classic mixing combines freshly squeezed juices, top shelf liquor and a pleasant good humor.

WHAT? No one mentioned Planet X?
We're pesceterians / vegetarians. So we need either great seafood or great veggie selection or both. Planet X has always been a good time, we go every year.

The better 1/2 and I always ease into the beach life on the first day with a couple o'bloodys {ies?] or champagnes whilst sitting in those godawful cast iron chairs at Victoria's on the Boardwalk; there's nothing finer than sitting outside overlooking the drink, with a drink at the ready. but we haven't had their food, the place seems too touristy.

Bottom line: the drinks seem colder, the air fresher, life easier, while away at the beach. It's good to be so close by...

I agree the dave the suave about the food at Victoria's. We only ate there once, when someone else was hosting.
It was nothing to write home about.

While we have a side discussion going on about Greek wines, what's with the wine list at The Black Olive? I went there for the first time for a belated birthday dinner, and the prices on the wine list seemed out of sight. My husband spotted one bottle for $1200 and a Nebbiolo was offered for $800. Many wines were $80 or $100 and up. Huh?

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About this blog

Richard Gorelick was appointed The Baltimore Sun's restaurant critic in September 2010. Before joining the paper staff fulltime, he contributed freelance criticism and features articles about food to area and regional publications. Along the way, he dispatched for short-distance trucking companies, shilled for cultural non-profits, and assisted in cognitive neurology research – never the subject, always the control.

He takes restaurants seriously but not himself, and his favorite restaurant is the one you love, too.